businesses

Indian broadcasters are running rolling live coverage bundling several major stories: a political row involving the Election Commission, remarks and actions by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a fresh attack by Yemen's Houthis, and rising tensions between the United States and Iran. The combined coverage reflects a busy news day spanning domestic election politics and international security developments being watched in both India and the US.

The United Nations has published an updated blacklist naming 61 companies it says are involved in activities in Israeli settlements that violate Palestinian human rights. The list, maintained by the UN Human Rights Council, identifies firms for business operations linked to the occupied territories. The move is expected to draw criticism from Israel and the United States, while rights groups welcome greater corporate accountability.

The United Nations has expanded its list of Israeli companies operating in West Bank settlements to 215 firms. The list, published by the UN Human Rights Council, names businesses it says are engaged in activities supporting settlement expansion, which Israel and its supporters condemn as biased, while human rights groups welcome it as a step toward corporate accountability in occupied territory.

The Thai government has declared a two-day public holiday for civil servants as severe floods batter the country. The move could affect the timing of a court ruling, since closures may push back official proceedings. The decision highlights the scale of the flooding crisis and its knock-on effects on government business and the justice system, with attention now on whether the ruling will be delayed.

The watchdog group UN Watch has condemned the UN's decision to expand its blacklist of companies operating in Israeli settlements, arguing the list unfairly targets Israeli firms and politicises human rights mechanisms. The move reignites long-running disputes over the legitimacy of settlement-related listings and the UN Human Rights Council's treatment of Israel.

Britain's so-called Brexit labels, the EU-related labelling requirements introduced after the UK's departure from the European Union, are set to be removed. The change means British businesses will no longer have to carry the specific markings associated with post-Brexit rules. Commenters are debating whether the move signals a genuine loosening of Brexit-era bureaucracy and what it means for trade with the EU.

Survivors of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting have filed a negligence lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company failed to alert authorities when the shooter's activity involved ChatGPT. The case, reported by the Business and Human Rights Centre, raises questions about AI companies' responsibility to flag potentially dangerous user behaviour to law enforcement before violence occurs.

The US government is moving to insert itself into Elon Musk's legal battle with the European Union, a fight carrying a €120 million price tag. The dispute centres on regulatory action by Brussels against Musk's businesses, and Washington's intervention escalates what was already a transatlantic clash over tech regulation. Observers are watching whether US involvement will pressure the EU to soften its enforcement stance.

Commentary argues Europe needs an operational framework to govern agentic artificial intelligence — systems capable of taking autonomous executive actions, not just producing recommendations. The piece suggests the EU's existing AI regulation does not yet address AI agents that can act on their own, and calls on Brussels to close that gap as the technology spreads through businesses and public institutions.

China has introduced new travel restrictions affecting technology workers, and the measures are reportedly causing concern among major tech companies and skilled professionals. Observers say the rules could complicate international travel for engineers and experts in fields like artificial intelligence, raising questions about talent mobility, business operations, and China's push to retain and control its technology expertise.

New figures suggest demand for Volkswagen's cheapest electric models in Germany has overtaken orders for comparable petrol and diesel cars, complicating the company's continued reliance on combustion vehicles. Commenters are reading it as a sign the shift to electric driving is accelerating from the bottom of the market up, with affordable EVs now winning mainstream buyers and pressuring Volkswagen's product strategy.

Japanese companies are working to promote parts of sharks other than the prized fins for food and other uses. Shark fins have long been the best-known shark product among food lovers, but businesses in Japan now hope to develop demand for the rest of the animal, a move with implications for fishing practices and how fully caught sharks are used.

Richard Manoogian, the Detroit-area businessman, philanthropist and art collector, has died at the age of 90. Best known for leading Masco Corporation, he was also a major supporter of the Detroit Institute of Arts and a prominent figure in Michigan philanthropy. Obituaries highlight his decades-long business career and his extensive contributions to the arts and cultural institutions.